Activity in Solitude

photo credit: Jim Young

Music to calm anxiety, videos on making a victory garden, demonstrations on how to make face masks, children's games, spiritual talks and meditations, movies from the olden days, "specials" from the early days of television, music concerts of all kinds  -- For those of us fortunate enough to have a high speed internet connection, the world is our oyster! I spoke with a 94-year-old woman today, whom I know from duplicate bridge and she also sings with the Catholic choir. She doesn't "do" computers and so there she sits. Usually she plays bridge three times a week and goes to church and choir practice, rounding out her social life and keeping her active and her mind young. I love her! What I would give to take her an iPad and be able to sit with her and teach her to use it, then she could play bridge with her friends. She would be enthralled with the world she could see. She has a son in Rogers, so he will be bringing Easter dinner to her house next Sunday. There is so much activity for those of us who are sedentary, and computer fans. I've thought all day about something to bring mental stimulus to my friend. I wonder what she would think of Sudoku? Next time I go out for supplies, think I'll look for a book of them! 

“We must become so alone, so utterly alone, that we withdraw into our innermost self. It is a way of bitter suffering. But then our solitude is overcome, we are no longer alone, for we find that our innermost self is the spirit, that it is God, the indivisible. And suddenly we find ourselves in the midst of the world, yet undisturbed by its multiplicity, for our innermost soul we know ourselves to be one with all being.” ― Hermann Hesse

The Salvation of Love

judyclementwall.com 

Our world is grieving. We all are, don't you think? There's the regular kind of grief, such as sadness brought on by being separated from loved ones and being isolated from activities. Then there's the existential grief. One of its definitions states: "despair felt in response to intangible losses, such as the loss of connection with a sense of place, or community." There is so much angst we take on from the state of our world.  The political, environmental, economic, contagion-related state of affairs is frightening. When this is combined with the anxiety we feel because we don't know what tomorrow will bring, then we have a soup ready-made to bring on withdrawals in the control freaks (who are beginning to understand they never really had this thing called control), and an overdose in those who have never slowed down enough to know what they really need. I surprised myself the other day when I said to someone, Buckle up, Buttercup; it's gonna be a wild ride! I don't mean to make light of this. It's a very serious situation, in which people are dying -- either directly from the virus or as collateral damage from the circumstance. I see my friends who have been living in a zen-like manner for decades, and no matter what discipline they are practicing, this is not much of a change for them. They're used to living in the moment, dealing with changes as they come up, shifting perspectives as needed, and listening for inner guidance to maneuver the obstacles which inevitably show up. But even the most calm of us are having to look at the inner turmoil which bubbles up from time to time. When we become frightened, let's be willing to ask for help. We're in this together, friends. We can help each other in ways we never dreamed we'd be doing. Let's not be afraid to accept assistance when it's offered in its many forms. To give is to receive, and to receive is to give. Oh yes -- and don't be afraid to grieve.

"The miracle of grace is no miracle to Love. Jesus demonstrated the inability of corporeality as well as the infinite ability of Spirit, thus helping erring human sense to flee from its own convictions and seek safety in divine Science." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 494:15

Love, Actually...

My niece in Michigan works at a hospital and is getting ready to be "deployed". She will be put up in a hotel while she will be working or on call constantly. Hearing her talk about being away from her babies and home, perhaps for weeks, has caused me to consider the large groups of workers who are undergoing the same heartbreak. Separation from loved ones is the most difficult part of this pandemic, and to be away from your children, working past the point of exhaustion -- well, my prayers and loving energy goes out to you all. I sat in the kitchen tonight and felt an all-encompassing Love moving through me and out again. I saw it going to wherever it is needed. God IS Love, and that Love is eternally omnipresent. We don't need to manufacture it, but simply feel it and let it take root and grow. This light work is important. I know you know that... 

"It is proverbial that Florence Nightingale, and other philanthropists engaged in humane labors, have been able to undergo without sinking fatigues and exposures that which ordinary people could not endure. The explanation lies in the support which they derived from the divine law, rising above the human. The spiritual demand, quelling the material, supplies energy and endurance surpassing all other aids, and forestalls the penalty which our beliefs would attach to our best deeds." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 385

Curiouser and Curiouser

Things just get "curiouser and curiouser", said Lewis Carroll, through his most adventurous character, Alice. I'm sure everyone feels this to some degree, because every day brings more confused thought, deep sadness, pity, unabashed joy, clarity of purpose. This is some ride we're on, don't you think? The rollercoaster of emotions mentioned come from many sources. I'm confused because some people think it's fine to go out to dinner in the nearby city, to do shopping, and have a day out. I am deeply sad because one of our artists, one who is a big player in the heart and soul of Eureka Springs, decided it was time to fly away. And so she did. The pity I've felt today is toward an old friend who has no one closeby, yet wants companionship desperately. I am joyful because I love my family and home. This gratitude runs through me like a favorite song replaying in my head. It seems we are all either embracing or running away from our purpose. These things I ponder, while questioning my own motives and trying not to judge others. Whew! Sending you a moment of peace, wishing you a night of deep sleep, and the humor and strength to carry on tomorrow. 

"Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 506:18

Good Things

Yellowstone National Park
Photo Credit: Aaron Springston

My favorite weekly news magazine has a section entitled "Points of Progress", in which we are told of good things happening all over the world. Here are a few: Colombia is granting work permits to migrants. They have almost 2 million Venezuelans seeking refuge there and this is a big deal for them. Britain's carbon tax, which is a levy on carbon dioxide emissions, has helped the country to lower its reliance on coal-generated electricity from 40% to 3%, since its introduction in 2013. France will ban controversial practices in its poultry and hog raising sectors. I won't go into details on these practices, as I'm bringing good news today! So let's just say that Switzerland and Germany plan to follow France's lead. South Africa has overturned a law which gives black women's husbands total control over matrimonial assets. This law will benefit almost half-a-million women. And here in the United States, 25 years after 14 gray wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park, there is solid proof that restoring the balance which was missing in their ecosystem is allowing many good things to happen. These changes are milestones on the road to compassion for humanity and environmental stability. Let's notice points of progress in our own communities and give shout-outs when we see them!

"Spiritual causation is the one question to be considered, for more than all others spiritual causation relates to human progress. The age seems ready to approach this subject, to ponder somewhat the supremacy of Spirit, and at least to touch the hem of Truth's garment." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 170

Lothar, Remembered...

The Schäfers on their wedding day

Many of you know Lothar Schäfer. He lived in Fayetteville, was a professor at the University, and wrote two wonderful books concerning quantum physics. I first met him when he came to our metaphysical society and spoke about his first book, "In Search of Divine Reality - Science as a Source of Inspiration". Of course, I was very excited about this title and wanted to get to know more about this man's thoughts. Our mutual friend, Jim Young, made that possible by beginning a salon in which ten of us met once a month and deeply discussed some really cool topics (all the while enjoying fabulous food and plenteous wine). And then he wrote his masterpiece, "Infinite Potential - What Quantum Physics Reveals About How We Should Live." This book has a great story behind it, of how he heard a talk by Deepak Chopra, and when he asked a question, he was asked back stage for a chat. From which this book began. Lothar and I became fast friends, feeling certain, when we toasted a brilliant statement or momentous occasion, that our wine glasses rang clearer because of our connection. So I raise a glass to you this evening, you dear, sweet man. I'll visit you often, through your writings. And thanks for the memories!

"Behind the visible surface of things is the infinite ocean of possibility. Its waves are so beautiful and inviting. "What a wonderful world," Louis Armstrong sings. What a wonderful life, in which the playful waves in the cosmic ocean dare you, tease you, and play a game of hide and seek with you, all the time hoping that you will catch one and turn it into a beautiful poem, a painting, a song, or a wonderful act of human kindness." Lothar Shäfer - Infinite Potential - What Quantum Physics Reveals About How We Should Live

Grandkid Withdrawal

Many people are lonely and missing their loved ones. The grandma tribe is going through withdrawal symptoms. It's not easy for them, missing the little hands around their necks and the sweet, messy kisses. Although there is no substitute for these interactions, we can help our friends find their way through this isolation period. Send a card in the mail, or make a phone call, or email photos and poems. There are other ways of staying connected which we may not have considered, such as Words With Friends on your computer or device. A dear friend and I began playing a couple of days ago and are taking great pleasure in this loosely-structured way of being in constant contact. You don't have to play at any specific time, and you don't keep someone waiting if you only play once a day, but it's comforting to know that someone has played a word which connects with a word you made. And of course there's a chat box on the side, where you can share a few thoughts now and again. We're all thinking outside of our regular routines and comfort zones nowadays. I see many positive side effects of this slowing down and being present in the moment. Hope you do, too!

"[The] human sense of Deity yields to the divine sense, even as the material sense of personality yields to the incorporeal sense of God and man as the infinite Principle and infinite idea -- as one Father with His universal family, held in the gospel of Love." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 576:31